Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 840 All Six Classics are History; Entering History from the Classics

The scarcity of people studying the Spring and Autumn Annals was a legacy issue during the Ming Dynasty.

Unlike the Book of Songs, which, after the debate among the four schools of poetry, became dominated by the Mao version while the other three versions were lost.

The Spring and Autumn Annals is subject to three different commentaries: the Gongyang Commentary, the Guliang Commentary, and the Zuo Commentary. Just as the Book of Rites is subject to three different rites, the scholarship on this subject is extremely complex and diverse.

In particular, the commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals adopted by the Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations was Hu Anguo's "Spring and Autumn Annals Commentary." Based on Hu Anguo's views, the "Zuo Zhuan," "Gongyang Zhuan," and "Guliang Zhuan" were appended to the text.

The reason this book was chosen as a textbook for the imperial examinations is that Cheng Yi's "Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals" only has two volumes, and Zhu Xi did not have a complete commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. Therefore, Hu Anguo's commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, compiled as a grand-disciple of Cheng Yi and a disciple of Yang Shi, was designated as a textbook for the imperial examinations.

However, Hu Anguo's scholarship was far inferior to that of Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi. His "Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals" has been questioned since its completion. It was only because there were no better alternatives at the time that this textbook was chosen out of necessity.

Even today, research on the Zuo Zhuan has long been flourishing in the Ming Dynasty, and there has been ongoing public discussion about revising the commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals.

However, the regulations for the imperial examinations had already been established, and officials, preferring to avoid trouble, naturally didn't bother to amend them.

After all, no matter how few people studied the Spring and Autumn Annals, it still accounted for 10% of the admission quota in the imperial examinations.

If it affects the appointment of scholars who specialize in the Spring and Autumn Annals to official positions, it will draw their complaints.

Now that the emperor wants to revise the commentaries on the Four Books and Five Classics, this obstacle is naturally no longer an obstacle.

The officials present unanimously demanded that the Spring and Autumn Annals be re-annotated and that the Hu Commentary be discontinued.

It can be said that revising the Spring and Autumn Annals commentary is the least controversial, and not many people even demand that it be based on Hu's commentary.

However, Zhu Youjian did not agree with their adoption of the interpretation in the Zuo Zhuan.

Because the authenticity of the Zuo Zhuan has not been determined in later generations, many people believe that, like other ancient text Confucian classics, it was compiled by Han Dynasty Confucian scholars in order to counter the modern text Confucian classics by mixing ancient texts.

Even the Zhejiang University bamboo slips containing the Zuo Zhuan have been embroiled in controversy over their authenticity.

Although Zhu Youjian did not believe that all ancient texts of Confucian classics were forgeries, he did have serious doubts about the ancient texts found in the wall of Confucius's house.

This skepticism began with the discovery of the ancient texts in the wall of Confucius's house and intensified in later generations, even giving rise to the Doubting Antiquity School, which had a great impact on Confucianism.

Zhu Youjian did not want the examination textbooks he set to fall into debate about their authenticity in the future, nor did he want the new school of thought he supported to be overthrown by others due to its shortcomings. Therefore, he was unwilling to use the Zuo Zhuan for the Spring and Autumn Annals.

After careful consideration, he addressed his ministers:
"Mr. Chen just said that if we want to govern the country with the classics of sages, we must first distinguish the authenticity of the classics."

"I wholeheartedly agree!"

"Like the Ancient Text of the Book of Documents, the Zuo Zhuan was written in the ancient text of the Book of Documents from the wall of Confucius's house. Before it was corroborated by other classics, it was only used as a reference."

This statement delighted Chen Jiru, as it represented the emperor's approval.

However, most of the court officials could not accept it, because the ancient texts in the wall of Confucius's house included not only the ancient texts of the Book of Documents and Zuo Zhuan, but also other classics such as the Lost Rites.

If all of them were included as references as the emperor suggested, it would be tantamount to halving the scope of classical Chinese studies.

After Zheng Xuan established the Old Text School of Confucianism as its foundation, absorbed the advantages of the New Text School of Confucianism, and ended the debate between the Old Text and New Text Schools, Confucianism was basically based on the Old Text School of Confucianism, and the scholarship of many scholars was based on this.

They naturally disagreed with the emperor's denigration of classical Chinese studies.

Liu Zongzhou, as a leading scholar of his generation, was the first to speak:

Yang Xiong of the Han Dynasty once said: "Many great Confucian scholars of the Han Dynasty saw the ancient texts on the wall of Confucius's house."

"If it wasn't denied then, how can it be called false today?"

Zhu Youjian did not argue with him about the authenticity of the ancient texts on the wall of Confucius's house, but only expressed doubt about the version currently in circulation, saying:

The Book of Han, Biography of Liu Xin, mentions that the ancient texts on the wall of the Confucian temple were presented by Kong Anguo, but due to the sudden outbreak of witchcraft, they were not put into practice and were stored in the secret archives.

"During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, Chen Fa secretly collected and collated old texts, and some classics were missing from the manuscripts, and some commentaries were compiled."

"From this we can know that the ancient texts from the wall of Confucius that are still circulating today are fragments compiled by Confucian scholars during the Han Dynasty."

"How much classical Chinese they used and how much they added themselves is unknown to modern people."

"I must be extremely cautious in governing the country using the classics of sages and virtuous men."

"Only texts whose authenticity can be verified will be adopted; others will be listed as references."

Liu Zongzhou could not refute this statement.

Because the ancient texts from the Confucius Wall were compiled by Han scholars, which is clearly recorded in history, they cannot arbitrarily deny this fact just because these ancient texts have now become classics.

Even if these classics had errors or omissions in the past, the impact was not significant.

However, the current emperor intends to govern the country by re-establishing rites and music based on the classics of sages and worthies. Those texts, which may have been privately added by Han Confucian scholars, have become a major problem:

Who can guarantee that they have no selfish motives and will add their own knowledge to the compilation?

Scholars in the Ming Dynasty often privately altered ancient books, adding their own opinions. Later generations commented that "the Ming people loved to print ancient books, yet the books themselves perished," referring precisely to this practice of tampering with ancient texts.

Officials who knew these inside stories naturally did not believe that Han scholars had not made any contributions when compiling ancient books.

They were completely speechless in response to the emperor's words.

Even Liu Zongzhou could only say that the Zuo Zhuan was not a forged classic, but that it contained the writings of Han Confucian scholars.

Zhu Youjian said with a smile:

"The Zuo Zhuan is certainly not a forgery."

"But now we can't tell which parts of the content were left by sages and which were written by Han scholars."

"Therefore, the current version of Zuo Zhuan can only be used as a reference. Only those versions that have been verified by other ancient books can be confirmed as true."

"I hope that all of you will actively analyze and restore the original text of the classics."

After partially acknowledging the Zuo Zhuan, Zhu Youjian used this opportunity to reiterate to his ministers:
"When I ordered the compilation of the Chongzhen Encyclopedia, I said:"

"Ancient books and ancient bamboo slips should be preserved in their original form as much as possible."

"When it is necessary to modify or supplement the content, it is important to indicate which parts have been corrected or supplemented so that readers can understand it."

"We must not follow the example of Han Confucian scholars who altered classical texts, resulting in a situation where even today, people cannot distinguish what the true Confucian classics were."

"When ancient books, bamboo slips, and other ancient texts are discovered in the future, the original text must be preserved first. An ancient book publishing house should be established to print and publish them, and not a single word should be changed."

It clarified the attitude towards the ancient texts in the wall of Confucius' house and established the norms for studying ancient books.

The ministers had no choice but to praise this practice of preserving the classics of the ancients and continuing the lost learning of the sages.

They could only accept the emperor's word and used the ancient texts from the Confucius wall, whose authenticity could not be confirmed, as reference texts.

Fortunately, the study of ancient texts is not limited to the ancient texts found in the walls of Confucius's house. There are also works such as the Mao Poems, the Book of Rites, the Rites of Zhou, and the Classic of Filial Piety, which were compiled by Mao Chang and others at the behest of Liu De, the Prince of Hejian, and even the Zuo Zhuan.

Because of the existence of these classic texts, Zhu Youjian and his ministers confirmed the existence of the book *Zuo Zhuan*. However, the current *Zuo Zhuan* is not entirely the work of Zuo Qiuming; its current purpose is for reference, awaiting further analysis.

Both the Gongyang Commentary and the Guliang Commentary have their own problems. Moreover, few people study them now, so they cannot be studied as classics of the Spring and Autumn Annals.

So, how should the Spring and Autumn Annals be collated and annotated? Zhu Youjian said:
As Yangming once said: "The Spring and Autumn Annals is also a classic, and the Five Classics are also history."

"Among the Five Classics, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Rites, and the Book of Changes record the customs and ritual and music system of that era, and contain a part of history."

"The Book of Documents and the Spring and Autumn Annals can be regarded as history, and can be called both classics and history."

"The chronology of the Book of Documents is not clear enough, so it is mainly used for studying the meaning of the classics."

"However, the Spring and Autumn Annals is a chronicle, and it should first be studied as history, and then its subtle meanings should be learned."

“Studying the Spring and Autumn Annals means simultaneously delving into classical studies and history.”

"Or, to start with classical studies and then delve into history."

This viewpoint is both inherited and innovative.

The idea that all six classics are history, and that there is no difference between classics and history, has a long history. Wang Shouren, Wang Shizhen, Li Zhi and others all held this view.

Hu Anguo's "Spring and Autumn Annals Commentary" is similar; it "based its events on the Zuo Zhuan and its meaning on the Gongzi and Guzi," interpreting the Spring and Autumn Annals from both classical and historical perspectives.

The court officials agreed with this principle of interpreting the classics; those who disagreed were modern students who "abandoned the classics and focused solely on the biography of An Guo."

Huang Lijie, who was in charge of compiling the chronicle and was adept at understanding the emperor's thoughts, spoke up at this moment:

"Your Majesty has established the Yellow Emperor's era. I believe that since the Spring and Autumn Annals is a chronicle, the Yellow Emperor's era should be used when annotating it."

“Then, extract events that occurred in that year and month from pre-Qin classics such as Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu.”

"Then, we will refer to the Gongyang Commentary, the Guliang Commentary, and the commentaries of the ancients to interpret the profound meanings contained therein."

"Only by integrating the classics and history can we interpret the Spring and Autumn Annals."

This statement was praised by Zhu Youjian, who was greatly pleased.

The officials all turned their heads in surprise, never expecting that Huang Lijie, a remnant of the eunuch faction, would dare to interfere in academic matters.

If this weren't a lecture, members of the Donglin Party would likely have already jumped out to impeach and criticize them.

They didn't want the right to interpret the Spring and Autumn Annals to fall into the hands of the eunuch faction.

(End of this chapter)